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Learn about me & my missionJuly 15th, 2010 | I Got a Masters in Science! (All Over Again…)
This text was fully written by a human.
- I’ve officially earned my Master’s in Mathematics after intense study in challenging conditions. I lost 8 kilos in the process and pushed myself to the limit.
- Passing the exam has helped me rediscover my strength to take risks and persist, even when faced with repeated failures and overwhelming challenges.
- With this achievement, I’ve made a pact with myself to confront and overcome my fears. It marks the beginning of a new adventure in tackling mental and emotional hurdles.
How Did I Get My Masters in Mathematics?
And it happened: I’ve officially become a Masters in Mathematics. It cost me 8 kilos of weight and unimaginable suffering.
Sweating in my own heat, enduring 35-degree temperatures, buried in musty books. Isolated in solitude, in the middle of July, for an entire week. The math exam was a real test, demanding mastery of everything.
Fortunately, I passed, and now I can confidently say one crucial thing. After months, if not years, I’ve rediscovered what I truly value in myself.
In fact, it’s the ability to take risks and push my body to its limits. No risk, no reward—it’s as simple as that.
And although it sounds like a cliché, persistence is key. According to Eskreis-Winkler, Shulman, Beal, and Duckworth (2014), grit, meaning passion and perseverance for long-term goals, predicts who sticks with difficult pursuits.
Notably, some students might be more naturally inclined towards math, but they’ve given up for various reasons. According to Blackwell, Trzesniewski and Dweck (2007), believing ability can grow predicts rising math grades. What can I share with them, someone who faced failure repeatedly due to crises and the urge to quit, yet didn’t?
Have Better Days Finally Come?
It’s that tough times should be endured, and brighter days could be just around the corner. According to Seery, Holman, and Silver (2010), people who have weathered moderate adversity show greater resilience afterward. Those who faced very little or overwhelming hardship fare worse.
At the start of February, I lay down in tears, overwhelmed by algebra, thinking any degree was beyond my reach. As it turns out, that wasn’t true—in just five months, I managed to achieve two.
What Pact Did I Make With Fate?
Another thing is, I made myself a promise—or rather, a pact with fate. That if I passed this exam, I’d no longer fear certain things that terrify me today. Math is certainly at the forefront, but not the only challenge I mean.
Still, there are many mental hurdles, and I’m fully aware of them, like fragile glass barriers I’ve been hesitant to break. Or rather, I was hesitant, because I vowed not to fear them any longer. According to Bandura (1977), mastering hard tasks is the strongest source of self-belief.
And so, the real adventure begins now.
Please cite as:
Bielczyk, N.
(2010, July 15th). I Got a Masters in Science! (All Over Again…). Retrieved from: https://nataliabielczyk.com/i-got-a-masters-in-science!-(all-over-again…)/
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